Genital Herpes Diagnosis

Many doctors will begin treatment based only on the appearance of the sores, if the sores seem typical of herpes. Doctors may also take a swab of the sore and send the swab to the laboratory to see if the virus is present. A number of types of tests may be ordered to establish the diagnosis, including:

a culture of the virus;

polymerase chain reaction to demonstrate the genetic material of the virus; and

tests using antibodies to the genital herpes virus to demonstrate the presence of the virus in clinical specimens.

These types of tests generally require at least a few days for results to be obtained. In some cases, blood tests to confirm the presence of an immune response to the herpes virus may be ordered.